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Hans India
09-06-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Rs 450 cr for water supply to MTMC
Vijayawad: The state government has approved a Comprehensive Water Supply Improvement Scheme for the entire jurisdiction of the Mangalagiri Tadepalli Municipal Corporation (MTMC), aiming to ensure safe and sustainable drinking water supply to all urban and peri-urban areas under its administration. The scheme will cater to the erstwhile Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) of Mangalagiri and Tadepalli, as well as 15 newly merged villages (excluding six villages proposed for merger with the Capital Region Development Authority), said S Suresh Kumar, Principal Secretary to Government, Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department. The MTMC was formed by merging the municipalities of Mangalagiri and Tadepalli with 21 adjoining villages. A previous water supply project funded by the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) with a sanctioned amount of Rs 221.52 crore had made partial progress due to funding limitations, leaving key infrastructure incomplete—particularly in the newly merged areas. To address these gaps, a Detailed Project Report (DPR) has now been prepared for a comprehensive water supply scheme using Krishna River as the source. The plan includes intake and treatment facilities, distribution networks for both the newly merged villages and unserved areas of the erstwhile ULBs, and the completion of pending works under the AIIB scheme. The total estimated project cost is Rs 450.24 crore, which will be funded as follows: Rs 287.54 crore under the Urban Infrastructure Development Fund (UIDF) for completing works in the former ULBs, Rs 51.20 crore under AMRUT 2.0 for core infrastructure components, Rs 111.50 crore for the extension of water supply to the 15 merged villages, to be funded through the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA). The Engineer-in-Chief (PH) (FAC), PH & ME Department, had sought administrative sanction and fund allocation for the Rs 111.50 crore CRDA component. The government has now issued the necessary approval to proceed with implementation. The scheme is designed to meet water supply needs up to the year 2056, based on projected population growth, and marks a significant step toward equitable urban infrastructure development in Andhra Pradesh, said Suresh Kumar.
Hans India
07-06-2025
- Hans India
ULBs urged to take care of sewer workers
Vijayawada: The Department of Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA & UD) has issued orders to the Urban Local Bodies to implement the rules related to The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 (PEMSR Act, 2013). S Suresh Kumar, Principal Secretary, MA &UD, on Friday stated that Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, deals with the provisions of hazardous cleaning, insanitary latrine and manual scavengers, identification of Insanitary Latrines, providing sanitary latrines, identification of manual scavengers and their rehabilitation. He said the Supreme Court issued directions on implementation of PEMSR Act, 2013, in its judgment dated October 20, 2023. He said the Andhra Pradesh High Court emphasised the timely payment of compensation and provision of full rehabilitation measures, including employment to the spouse, education to the children, and appropriate skill training to the kin of the deceased sewer workers. In the event of a sewer or septic tank death, the kin must get compensation as per the orders. Suresh Kumar has issued orders to the municipal commissioners to safeguard the safety and welfare of the workers and gave guidelines that are to be followed. All cleaning operations shall be fully mechanised forthwith. He asked officials to ensure that no person is engaged in such activities, and that all cleaning operations is done using appropriate mechanical means and safety equipment & manual entry into sewers or septic tanks shall be strictly prohibited under all circumstances. In exceptional cases where manual intervention is unavoidable, prior approval must be obtained from the concerned Commissioner of the ULB and all prescribed safety equipment must be provided in accordance with the PEMSR Act, 2013. In the event of a sewer or septic tank death, irrespective of whether the deceased was employed directly, indirectly, or through a contractor, an ex-gratia compensation of Rs 30,00,000 shall be mandatorily paid to the next of kin by the concerned agency. It has to be ensured that FIRs are promptly registered against any individual, agency, or contractor under Sections 5, 6, 7, and 8 of PEMSR Act, 2013 in all reported or identified instances of manual scavenging. Ensure provision of full rehabilitation of the deceased worker's family, including: Employment to one eligible family member. Free Education to the children and skill development training and livelihood support. Set up a dedicated helpline or mechanism for reporting violations and grievances related to manual scavenging, ensuring its prompt redressal. Suresh Kumar issued instructions to the commissioners of the Urban Local Bodies to create awareness among municipal staff, contractors, and the public on the legal prohibitions and penalties associated with manual scavenging and the rights and rehabilitation measures available to the affected persons. He further instructed to provide training to municipal staff on safe sanitation practices and the legal obligations under the Act and Court directions.
United News of India
06-06-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
ACB files chargesheet in illegal appointment of 82 persons in Municipal Committee Sumbal
Srinagar, June 6 (UNI) J&K Anti-Corruption Bureau presented a chargesheet in the Court of Special Judge Anti-Corruption, Baramulla for the illegal appointment of 82 persons in Municipal committee (MC) Sumbal Bandipora during 2009-2010. The chargesheet was submitted on Thursday against Ghulam Ahmad Wani alias Gulzar, then President of MC Sumbal, Abdul Rashid Shah, then In-Charge Executive Officer, and 82 beneficiaries. The case originated from a complaint received by the then Vigilance Organization Kashmir (VOK), now ACB J&K, regarding large-scale fraudulent appointments in Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) across Kashmir. A probe by VOK revealed that during 2009-2010, President and In-charge Executive Officer MC Sumbal, in league with accused beneficiaries by abuse of their official position and in gross violation of the standing government rules, made 82 illegal appointments of various persons to different posts on the regular pay scale. The ACB probe found that their salary was drawn by Shah, who also attested service particulars of these 82 illegal appointees. Verification conducted revealed that these 82 accused beneficiaries were illegally & fraudulently appointed without following due process of law, the ACB said. Finally on the culmination of verification, an FIR was registered at Police Station VOK (Now ACB Baramulla), against officers of MC Sumbal Bandipora & 82 illegal appointees, and investigations were set into motion. The investigation further found that the recruitment was made without any transparent recruitment process, without the issuance of any advertisements for wider circulation, and the majority of posts against which accused beneficiaries were appointed do not figure in the schedules given under the Recruitment Rules 2008. The ACB said investigations conducted also revealed that the majority of the appointments were made on recommendations of the then Speaker J&K Assembly, then MLA Sonawari, as well as Municipal council resolution, which again were not authorized forums as per rules to intervene in the recruitment process. Accordingly, the sanction for launching prosecution against an service public servant, Rashid Shah, a resident of Papachan, Bandipora, was accorded by the Government. Shah was also prematurely retired from government service; however was reinstated by the High Court order. On culmination of investigations, the chargesheet against the then President, MC Sumbal; the then I/C Executive Officer, MC Sumbal and 82 illegal appointees was produced in the Court for commission of offences as defined under section 5(1),(d) r/w 5(2) of Jammu & Kashmir Prevention of Corruption Act, Samvat, 2006, and under Section 120-B, 201 RPC was presented before special Judge Anti-corruption court Baramulla for judicial determination. UNI MJR BD
India Gazette
02-06-2025
- India Gazette
Army Commander, Central command flags off Plastic Eradication Kaar Sewa for rejuvenation of Ganga New Delhi [I
New Delhi [India], June 2 (ANI): Atulya Ganga Trust, an Armed Forces veterans initiative dedicated to the sustainable rejuvenation of River Ganga since 2019, is undertaking a 'Plastic Eradication Kaar Sewa', with effect from June 5 to 7, a press release said. Its mission spans afforestation, pollution mapping, including measuring the presence of microplastics and raising public awareness to restore the river. The drive was flagged off by Lieutenant General Anindya Sengupta, GOC-in-C Central Command, at Lucknow on June 2. The ceremony was attended by Gopal Sharma, founder of the trust and Lt Col Hem Lohumi. Lieutenant General Vikas Rohilla, DG LWE and Colonel Commandant Bombay Sappers also graced the occasion. The initiative is being supported by the State administration of Uttarakhand, the Border Roads Organisation and the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering. Corporate support is being provided by Bisleri. Atulya Ganga volunteers will assemble at Uttarkashi on June 3. On a daily basis till June 7, they will physically collect all the plastic waste littered on the roadside and on mountain slopes between Gangotri and Harsil. The collected waste will be handed over to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) for further disposal. Through this initiative, the NGO aims to cultivate a mindset amongst the citizens and government machinery to recognise the urgent requirement of promoting sustainable practices to protect nature. Earlier, in April Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the government is preparing for the Green Chardham Yatra this time, a release from Uttarakhand CMO said. He said that the government's effort is not only to provide the pilgrims with pure food and a clean environment but also to prevent the problem of single-use plastic from arising at our holy pilgrimage sites due to the Yatra. We are working on the principle of reducing, reusing, and recycling single-use plastic, he said. (ANI)
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Punjab cabinet's decision aims to streamline payment process for properties sold by ULBs
CHANDIGARH : In a decision aimed at streamlining and expediting the payment process for properties sold by urban local bodies , the Punjab Cabinet on Friday approved an amendment to the Punjab Management and Transfer of Municipal Properties Rules, 2021. A decision to this effect was taken by the Council of Ministers in a meeting held here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann , said an official statement. "As per the amendment, the Cabinet has decided to reduce the time period to six months for depositing the sale price by allottees for properties sold by the Urban Local Bodies. "So, the allottees will now be required to deposit the full sale price within 180 days from the date of allotment, replacing the earlier provision of six half-yearly instalments. The decision aims at the faster realisation of revenue by urban local bodies, strengthening of Municipal finances and facilitation of the common man by a reduction in legal disputes related to delayed payments," the statement said. With the objective to further tap Punjab's growth potential by developing a vibrant environment for entrepreneurship, the cabinet also gave the nod to allot Rs 5 crore to Punjab Innovation Mission to help meet its objectives. The decision has been taken in view of the immense contribution of the mission to unleash Punjab's growth potential and create a thriving economy by generating jobs and inviting investment. "The mission is also important for the state as it acts as a catalyst to further give impetus to develop Punjab as an industrial hub in the country," the official statement said. In order to streamline the promotions in the Punjab Police, especially among those promoted from the Sports quota, the Punjab Cabinet also gave a nod to frame service rules for the officers/employees serving in 207 Specially Promoted Cadre. This decision will regulate the future promotions of these Police personnel and further streamline their other service matters. Likewise, based on recommendations of the Group of Secretaries committee to review redundant laws/ regularisation and decriminalisation, the Cabinet also approved the Punjab Appropriation Acts (Repeal) bill, 2025. As per the recommendations of the committee, the Department of Finance has considered the proposal and identified its appropriations acts for repealing, which authorised departments to incur expenditure from the Consolidated Fund of the state. Repeal of Appropriation Acts, whose terms have ended, will in no way have any adverse effect on actions that were validly taken or to be taken in relation thereto pursuant to these Acts, the statement said.
